Inclusive Tech Alliance launched to address lack of diversity in tech

Women make up just 12.6% of board members and 16.6% of senior executives in the top tech firms, according to a new report which has sparked the formation of a new body dedicated to improving diversity in the sector.

The report by Inclusive Boards highlights the current lack of diversity within the sectors senior leadership. The findings show a significant lack of senior women across the sector, while black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) leaders are underrepresented compared to the wider population.

For instance, women make up just 12.6% of board members and 16.6% of senior executives in the top tech firms, equivalent to 14.6% female representation across all senior levels in tech.

The report says only 8.5% of senior leaders in the sector were from a black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) background.

Moreover, it says, almost two-thirds (65%) of boards in the top tech firms had no female directors and over two-fifths of executive teams in the top tech firms had no female representation.

The report also focuses on educational background and found more than a third (35%) of board members and more over a quarter (26%) of senior executives in the top tech firms attended Oxford or Cambridge (Oxbridge) universities compared to just 1% of the population.

Leaders representing over 100 tech firms launched The Inclusive Tech Alliance this week in response to concerns about lack of diversity. The alliance is a membership body dedicated to increasing diversity in the UK Tech Sector. At the launch Inclusive Boards also released a list of top 100 most influential Black, Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) leaders in tech. Those featured in the top 100 include senior leaders from LinkedIn, IBM, Twitter, FinTech firms and more.